Campsites and overnight halts for motorhomes

France boasts an almost bonkers number of campsites (around 11,000 at last count, which is second only to the USA!) so there is huge choice here.

If you don’t want to stay on campsites there are also free places to stay called “Aire de Service” (where you can empty waste tanks and fill up with water too) and the “France Passion” scheme (free places at vineyards, farms etc.) to which we provide free membership during your hire.

The facilities for motorhome travellers in France are incredibly good, truly second to none in the world so spontaneous trip planning, relaxed travel and heading where the mood takes you are all well provided for here.

Here are answers to our most frequently asked questions about campsites and places to stay:-

Where can I stay near the France Motorhome Hire depot?

We are based in in Burgundy (the world famous wine region) near The River Yonne with lots of pretty towns and villages to explore within half an hour of our depot and most of them have campsites or free places to stay. See our local options for overnight halts here: Local overnight halts

Where can I get information about campsites and “Aire de Service” halts and “France Passion” sites in France?

On each of vehicles we provide guides to campsites, aire de service and France Passion sites so you will have all the guides you need for your trip.

If you want to plan and book ahead (you can only book campsites as it is not possible to book the free options), you can find some information online. There is no one truly comprehensive online guide to the campsites of France but these two websites show a good choice of campsites:

Also, in France, the websites of regional tourism boards and tourist information offices (in individual towns) will have comprehensive campsite and “Aire de Service” listings for their area (as well as information on what to do, events etc.). Search online for the “Office de Tourisme” for any specific town in France or for campsites/information for a whole region, visit a regional tourism board. Here is our page showing the regional tourism boards in France: Regional tourist boards

If you don’t want to plan and book ahead, don’t forget there will be a comprehensive guidebook for campsites, “Aire de Service” halts and “France Passion” halts on your campervan when you arrive.

What do campsites charge per night in France?

Campsite prices vary depending on location, season and facilities. Typically, for a campsite with basic facilities such as electrical hook ups, toilet and shower block you will pay between €12 and €22 per night but if they are resort style campsites (with lots of leisure facilities, entertainment etc.) in touristy areas they could be as much as €90 per night in high season. The huge choice of campsites here allows you to decide how much you spend and what facilities you want to pay for.

If you want to avoid campsites altogether there are plenty of options and most vehicles in our hire fleet are perfectly equipped to remain autonomous from campsites so you can stay at the free alternatives.

Do I need to book campsites before my trip?

For most areas of France you don’t have to book campsites before your trip. The exceptions are coastal/touristy areas in July and August (during French school holidays). Also, if you have a specific area to explore and a particular campsite in mind, booking in advance might be a good idea but it is generally not necessary.

If you don’t book campsites before your trip, our advice is to start looking for a place to stay during the morning rather than late in the afternoon or even call ahead the day before to check that your desired campsite has a spot for you. Many rural campsites never become fully booked so if you are staying away from big towns and tourist attractions you should be able to find a campsite spontaneously at any time.

Needless to say, if you need to stay somewhere on specific date (e.g. to attend an event) it is best to book ahead.

Should I book ahead for “France Passion” sites or “Aire de Service” places?

No, indeed you cannot book ahead at France Passion or Aire de Service sites as they are offered on a “first come first served” basis. However, provided you park up late afternoon or early evening, you should find availability in most areas.

If you find a really great campsite on your travels, don’t forget to take some photos and tell us about it so we can write a blog and share it with other motorhome travellers.

Reviews

We had a wonderful experience with France Motor Home Hire. From the pick up at the train station to returning the vehicle, the people at France Motor Home Hire were friendly, informative and were genuinely committed to our journey. The vehicle was clean, well maintained and contained everything need for our adventure across the French countryside. We are already planning our next excursion and will be renting from France Motorhome Hire again.read more

This is our second trip with France Motorhome, and we will be back again!The team are friendly and efficient and the motor homes clean, reliable and great fun.For anyone who loves to explore France, or further afield.....we went to Switzerland this time.....then this is the way to do it. Highly recommended.read more

As a first timer to camper van travel, Sally and her team made the experience run very smoothly from collecting us from our hotel in Sens and dropping us back to the train station (its the little things that make your holiday more enjoyable) The van was very clean and had all the equipment required for camp site living.read more

Very professional and well run company. Staff were friendly and welcoming, and the camper van was clean and well maintained. We stayed the first night in a hotel in Sens and were collected promptly in the morning to collect the van and start holiday well relaxed. The company is in a perfect location for travelling anywhere in and around France.read more

Excellent staff, clean and reliable vehicle, supplied us with all information on the “housekeeping”..allowing us to have a fantastic holiday.ps. If you don’t hire a satnav from them make sure the one you take with you works in France.read more

What a fantastic experience, from beginning to end!! From our initial enquiry everything was made easy, with all questions answered promptly and clearly by Sally. Arrangements were made and perfectly kept, the motorhome was spotlessly clean and as described. We were warmly greeted by Hannah, and thoroughly schooled in the motorhome life by Phil before being set loose.The trip itself was a wonder, with surprises around every bend in every byway we could find - didn't use a highway or motorway in 18 days. Great food and wine from markets all over, and friendly, informative greetings from all of the farms we visited courtesy of France Passion (check out the link from the FranceMotorhomeHire website - recommended). Even in peak season, our haunts were totally free from the expected hordes of tourists. Sally and Simon met us on our return, and we're eternally grateful for their assistance.All in all, can't think of a better way to explore rural France. Thanks to the entire FMH team! We'll do it again!Pete & Jen - Denmark, Western Australiaread more

What a fantastic experience, from beginning to end!! From our initial enquiry everything was made easy, with all questions answered promptly and clearly by Sally. Arrangements were made and perfectly kept, the motorhome was spotlessly clean and as described. We were warmly greeted by Hannah, and thoroughly schooled in the motorhome life by Phil before being set loose.The trip itself was a wonder, with surprises around every bend in every byway we could find - didn't use a highway or motorway in 18 days. Great food and wine from markets all over, and friendly, informative greetings from all of the farms we visited courtesy of France Passion (check out the link from the FranceMotorhomeHire website - recommended). Even in peak season, our haunts were totally free from the expected hordes of tourists. Sally and Simon met us on our return, and we're eternal grateful for their assistance.All in all, can't think of a better way to explore rural France. Thanks tot the entire FMH team! We'll do it again!Pete & Jen - Denmark, Western Australiaread more

We had such a fantastic experience with this company. They were very helpful and responded quickly when we had questions related to making a booking and were very accommodating. The pick up and drop off service from the train made getting there easy, the van was well explained by staff and the camper van itself was brilliant. Everything you needed to be self sufficient and we loved getting to utilise the France Passion network that France Motorhome is a member of and getting to meet some of the lovely wine makers of Southern France and enjoying their wine with our camp dinner! Would definitely recommend and hope we get to go back soon!read more

A successful, fun trip starts long before boarding with the choice of the right suppliers and vendors: airlines, hotels, tour operators, etc. All I can say is we hit the nail in the head when we chose France Motorhome Hire to rent the "house on wheels" that would be our home for 2 weeks.These guys are absolutely amazing! Their communication and customer service is second to none. They are extremely friendly, caring and proactive to ensure their clients will have an outstanding trip.As an example, months before our hire, Sally (who is an awesome lady, by the way) wrote me an email advising that train strike actions were planned for the day of our pick up. This allowed me to work on a B plan to get to Sens.The fact that the pick up location is about 1 hour out of Paris is actually a pretty positive thing. Driving and parking a normal car in Paris is a nightmare, and I wonder how much worst would be to drive a motorhome in and out of town. If you are not used to driving a camper like myself and my wife weren't, Veron is great because it is small, quiet and near the highway. You can take your time, drive slowly and get acquainted with the vehicle.Our motorhome was beautiful, looking almost like brand new. Very comfortable, spacious and clean. We had 2 wonderful weeks driving, eating and sleeping in it every single night.I could spend many hours here writing all the great things about the company and the vehicle, but will limit myself to say this: highly recommend. We will definitely come back for more (I hope pretty soon).read more

A very organised company; with excellent communication prior to our hire. We worried about having e-mail contact and not being local french speaking. But in all honesty this has turned out to the be a trustworthy and friendly company to hire with. The camper was new, clean, cared for, fully equipped and an excellent option for our holiday. The insurances and deposits can seem daunting; but the formula is simple, do not damage the van, and bring it back clean; we did exactly that and had all our refund. As i say; the internet is full of unscrupulous people; but not this company, AAA++ rated from my experience. Big thanks from the Isle of Man.read more

I just rented a Euro Prestige Motorhome to take to Le Mans 24H and had a wonderful experience. The team at France Motorhome Hire were delightful and the vehicle itself was well prepared, clean and made great accommodations for the 3 of us. Although it accommodates 6, it worked well for 3 adult males; all with our own beds and no need to use dinette bed configuration. Check in and out was a simple process and they provided a wide range of books and maps to help with local camping and exploring. All the systems we're explained carefully and any questions I had we're answered with ease. It's easy to drive, very comfortable to eat and sleep in and when connected to electricity, lasted 5 days without using all the fresh water and hardly any of the gas. Our campsite happened to have showers and toilets so that helped reduce the burden a bit on the motorhome. The full size refrigerator was a pleasant surprise and after about 24H was keeping a weeks worth of groceries and beverages perfectly cold. The small freezer portion kept bags of ice frozen the entire time too.Highly recommend to use for an auto sports event : you get to stay out of the rain, are warm when needed and get some relief from the drone of the race cars. Were looking forward to our next rental, exploring the Loire valley.read more

From the moment we booked our Euro Traveller with FMH our experience was amazing. The booking was easy, the FMH website (and staff) gave us all the relevant information we required to plan our journey, which was a 4 week tour. Picking up the traveller was easy, it was clean, comfortable and had everything we needed, including the invaluable 'French Passion' and 'Aires' books, that we used extensively. The traveller was enjoyable to drive (and we certainly tested it!) and the left hand driving position certainly made driving in Italy and France a lot easier. Highly recommended if you are considering this lovely way of seeing Europe.read more

This was the first time we used France Motorhome and it almost certainly won't be the last. Everything was as advertised, the unit was in excellent condition and spotlessly clean. The whole experience was better than expected and the only regret we have is it couldn't have lasted longer!read more

This was our second time renting an RV from France Motorhome Hire. They have been extremely easy to work with, and their RVs are beautifully maintained and easy to drive. I would highly recommend this company to anyone considering renting an RV in Europe.read more

We've used France motorhome hire 3 times & had 3 fantastic holidays. I can highly recommend this company. The vans are spotlessly clean, mechanically perfect & come equipped with all the necessities. On arrival the friendly team talk through the running of the van, then you're off to explore, it's by far the best way to explore France. Thankyou again FMH.read more

If you don't want to read through the entire review, do yourself a favor and make the booking right away!!! I was planning a surprise honeymoon for my wife and we both love road trips, so I figured a road trip through some part of Europe would be fantastic. I stumbled upon FMH while doing research online and decided to reach out to them given their great reviews and it was the best decision/highlight of our trip!From the very beginning, the staff was extremely helpful, especially Hannah. I explained to Hannah how this was a surprise trip and Hannah was patient enough to listen to what types of activities my wife and I like to do and helped us create an itinerary for the week through Loire Valley, suggested a company for hot air balloon (highly recommend!) and even offered us a free upgrade to a more luxurious campervan! The entire process was seamless - filled out the necessary documents online and made the payment via my credit card. I recommend coming into Sens (a nearby town) the day/night prior to get situated. We opted for the shuttle pick-up and drop-off service, totally worth the extra charge. Iva came and picked us up at the hotel we were staying in Sens and was right on time. She was super nice and courteous. The entire check-in process was seamless and straightforward. We hadn't purchased the excess reduction insurance and Iva suggested we do (and glad we did - more on that later). The staff provided us with the contact information to purchase the insurance right on the spot, which we did and gave us the peace of mind in case anything happens. Jose/Jesus, can't recall his name who helped inspect/check-out the vehicle was super friendly and shared the excitement given how much we were looking forward to it. My wife was completely surprised and couldn't stop smiling and taking pictures! FMH does an AMAZING job maintaining their vehicles. J made sure to show us all the dings/dents/scratches already on the vehicle, gave us a tutorial of the ins and outs of the campervan and tips as first-time campers. The van itself is PERFECT for two! FMH does an excellent job of providing all the necessities including utensils, pots, pans, bedding, chairs, tables, extension cords, water pipe etc. We stocked up at Auchen (Walmart equivalent of US), which is nearby the depot for all your food, supplies and other essentials. Although we took a couple detours from the recommended route by Hannah, but we stuck to majority of it and it was PERFECT. We primarily used France Passion, local service where local farmers, wine and cheesemakers allow you to park your campervan and you get a local experience. This was absolutely amazing as we got to interact with local wine makers etc. This is a great way to save costs on fees for parking, refilling water and getting a local experience. Overall, can't say enough how truly amazing this entire experience was. The size of the campervan is ideal for parking and driving through the low-height, narrow streets of Loire Valley. The only unexpected/disappointing experience was a small scratch on one of the wheels upon returning the vehicle. It probably happened during a sharp turn/running over a curb, but hey that's what insurance is for right? Hannah, Iva, and the rest of the FMH staff - sincere thanks for making this such a memorable trip for my wife and I. We hope to do it again to explore another part of beautiful France in the future!read more

motorhome was in great condition and the france motorhome staff were super helpfull. Had everything you needed in the motorhome and france is so well setup for motorhomes with places everywhere to stay for free or very little, such a good trip, now planning on when we can come back and do it again.read more

Désolé, mais mon français est très mauvais. (Used that phrase a lot, actually)Almost everyone in Paris spoke some English, even if they didn't admit it. Couldn't rely on that while camping in Burgundy. Turned out we didn't need to, people were friendly, or at least patiently tolerant, sometimes amused, but I don't mind. Who knows what I was trying to say in French actually translated to? Google translate is of limited value, especially the text reader, which was hilarious. Going into a giggle loop in a restaurant makes them think you've had enough wine for one day.But this is supposed to be a review of FMH, so let's get on with it. First off, they speak English, and the instructions are in English. Secondly, you can pick up the camper on a Saturday afternoon, which is rare in France, and important if your catching a red eye in from America. We had an Explorer Compact Prestige model, with a very comfortable bed. Researching campers in France, we noticed many companies say they can be up to 5 years old, sometimes more. I don't think FMH uses them more than two, and it shows, the machine was spotless. Ours was small enough to easily navigate some tiny roads in tiny towns, (although we were impressed by how good regular French roads were), and it shifted effortlessly. Not bad on diesel either, we went from Sens to Cote D'or and back on €60.While it comes with full kitchen kit, we mostly used the French press and the corkscrew. Didn't go to France to cook. Unlike America, French campgrounds have decent restaurants. We used France Passion and Aires as well, but in a campground you'll meet people from all over.Note for Americans: European campers don't use the same plumbing systems as ours. Instead of a large black water tank, it has about a 4 gallon "cassette", like on a portable camping toilet. But there are places to dump these in almost every town at the Aires de Service, so it's painless.Returning it at the end of the week was easy, we arrived clean and prepared to pack our bags. Trickiest thing was balancing the weight of the wine in each suitcase.So, couldn't be happier. Had so much fun camping in France that we're feeling motivated to do it again, taking a different direction next time. Thanks Hannah, Phill, et al! We'll be back!read more

GLAD TO DECIDE TO HIRE WITH THIS GUYS!When we decided to enjoy France on a motorhome I contacted several companies looking for a complete offer. France Motorhome Hire was one of the few ones including bed linen, towels, outdoor furniture, etc., this is what really matters to customers like us that come outside France.Motorhome model from this year 2017 in perfect conditions.We definitely recommend this company.Thanks to Hannah and Ina for their kind attention and support, appreciate it!read more